


He Who Came And Never Left

by WhisperElmwood



Series: Augment Kirk [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cadet McCoy, Cadets, Divorced McCoy, Hand wavy science, Hospitals, M/M, Medical Procedures, POV Leonard McCoy, Paranoia, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Torture, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-12 20:23:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11744517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhisperElmwood/pseuds/WhisperElmwood
Summary: Under the supervision of Admiral Pike and half the Starfleet Medical Authority, McCoy is tasked with opening a recently discovered stasis tube and dealing with the person found within. That person is one Jim Kirk, an Augment who was last awake in the 2020′s.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate Academy Era. Bones is still a cadet at the start of this, about halfway through his first year. 
> 
> The Narada did happen, just without the Kirk's. Everything else is the same - ish. You'll find out as you read, I promise :) 
> 
> Based on a prompt given to me over on Tumblr, which you can read in the bottom notes. 
> 
> This is unBETA'd, so bear with me on that.

** He Who Came And Never Left **

 

_ 'Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest... It's about who came, and never left your side.' _

_ \- unknown _

**Prologue**

 

The stasis pod has been scanned six ways from Sunday by the time it reaches Leonard. It’s gone the rounds through every single scan, decontamination course, safety check and even specialist tech investigation that Starfleet could come up with. As well as a few extra that Leonard devised himself; having something completely unknown in his hospital was both exhilarating and paranoia inducing, after all. 

None of the scans had found anything of note beyond faint life signs.

Still, Leonard and his team are encased in hazmat suits and being watched over by a full security team when they finally get the damn thing open and he can scan the contents. 

With a hiss and a faint whirring, the front panel lifts away and then slides down, revealing the entire top half of the pod. Frigid air rises from within, a thick, cool mist that obscures visibility for a long moment. Irritably Leonard waves it away, bringing the tricorder up, running it over the dark interior of the pod. 

Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide… Basically cold air. And under that, stronger signs of actual life. 

_ Human  _ life.

“Right! We need to get this patient out of the pod - we’re working with a diagnosis of extreme hypothermia. Thompson - you ready for  hemodialysis? Richards \- the oxygen?” Both doctors respond in the affirmative and Leonard steps aside as orderlies and nurses lift the near-frozen patient from the stasis pod and onto the waiting gurney. Immediately Leonard is directing his team as he presses fingers to the body’s pulse point, it’s dangerously weak, but at least there is one, as he runs the tricorder over the length of his patient, ice encrusted blond hair to blue-tinged long toes. 

The gurney is pushed up alongside a biobed and the patient once again expertly transferred. Thompson, Litten and Kim get to work setting up the  hemodialysis to warm the patient’s blood. Richards sets up the patient’s oxygen to warm the patient’s airways.

Leonard directs the introduction of medically approved lightly heated blankets and setting up the temperature of the room as he scans the information brought up on his screens. As far as he can tell, apart from being in a coma, the patient is perfectly healthy. And perfectly human. 

Which is not hyperbole. The information the biobed scans bring up for him tells him this patient is… perfect. He’ll need to take samples once the patient is awake, do a deeper scan, to see what’s really going on. But everything he can see so far is telling him this patient is the absolute perfect specimen of humanity. 

Leonard knows of only one way that could have happened, and finding this patient in a stasis pod is just further evidence for his hypothesis. 

The group of security personnel thins until only three remain, one standing inside the room, the other two guarding the door from the outside. The orderlies and the majority of the extra med-staff return to their usual work elsewhere in the hospital, leaving Leonard with Doctor’s Thompson and Richards, and nurses Litten and Kim. 

Leonard picks up the PADD and steps up to the side of the biobed, scanning the latest updates on his patient. After a moment, he sighs and runs his gaze over the prone form. His patient is -  _ young  _ is probably the wrong word, considering his hypothesis - but, they look maybe 20. Long lean legs and torso, broad shoulders, well-developed musculature and fair - though slightly blue - skin over a well proportioned skeletal structure, delicate looking fingers and toes. Not a scar or blemish on them, and the readings showing no signs of old breaks, old illnesses, nothing that could give any hint of a history. 

Leonard snorts softly to himself and carefully lifts one thin eyelid, waves a penlight over the surprisingly blue eye. No changes. As expected for now, though the patient’s pulse has grown steadier and a little stronger since he first checked it.

He pauses for a moment, studies the patient’s features, lax as they currently are. Definitely young, for all that they may be close to 200 years old at this point, with full lips, strong jaw, heavy brows and a straight nose. He finds himself wondering, just for a moment, what this patient will be like when awake. Will they be sober or sullen? Will they be cheerful? The lax features, apparent young age and perhaps whatever this is he is reading in the scans means there are no lines in the features, no laugh lines, crows feet, nothing that could hint at a personality. 

Leonard straightens and sighs, checking the readings one more time. 

“Comm me if there’s any change in the patient’s vitals.  _ Especially  _ if it looks like they might be waking up.”

Hooking the PADD back onto the biobed, Leonard gives his patient one last assessing look before he heads to his office. He needs to fill out the initial report on the procedure and findings so far, which means a long evening of gods-forsaken Starfleet paperwork. 


	2. Day 001

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim wakes up. Leonard swears quite a bit.

**Day 001**

 

The recovery room is near silent as Leonard leans over the patient, the only sounds the faint whisper of breathing and the unobtrusive notes of the biobed scanners as they work. He carefully checks the patient’s vitals, eyes on the scans and fingers pressing lightly into pale, warm skin.

“Pulse is strong and steady,” he mutters just audible enough for the computer to capture and record. “Temperature within basic human norm,” he glances at the screens, “Brainwaves reading Theta and-”

Leonard stops as the waves begin to shift from Theta to Alpha, from Alpha to-. Frowning slightly, he lifts his hand from the patient’s wrist, reaches up to lift an eyelid to check pupillary response.

“Shit!”

The patient grips his wrist in a steady, strong hold, stopping Leonard from even trying to move, for risk of breaking the delicate bones of his wrist.

“Doctor McCoy!”

Leonard lifts his free hand, waves the security guard back as the patient opens his eyes and looks right at him. Leonard doesn’t blink, doesn’t look away, allows the patient to lock their gazes.

“Stand _down_ , Officer Zh'chyrreq,” he orders clearly, concisely. “They’re not goin’ to hurt me. Are you?” He addresses the patient directly, doesn’t move a muscle and stays calm through sheer force of will.

The patient blinks and their grip loosens minutely, enough that Leonard can feel the blood rushing back into his hand.

“See. There we go, Officer Zh'chyrreq, they’re just confused.” He keeps his voice calm, uses his rarely used Nice Doctor voice to help his patient adjust to being awake again after so long. If this kid is what he suspects, they’re unlikely to be feeling charitable towards medics and security officers. He needs to make sure they feel safe.

“We’re not gonna hurt you, kid. You’ve been asleep a long time, we just wanna make sure you’re ok.”

The eyes leave his and flick toward Officer Zh'chyrreq. Leonard can see the exact moment the kid registers that Setet isn’t human, the blue skin and antennae giving it away somewhat. Wide eyed, pupils suddenly blown in what must be fear, the kid looks back up at him, the grip on his wrist tightening again, so Leonard speaks quickly, wanting to head off any disastrous reaction.

“Officer Zh'chyrreq’s Andorian, kid. Andorian’s are allies of humanity, have been for a while now, she’s not goin’ to hurt you.”

The kid's eyes flick back to Setet, but they relax a little again as she steps back, hands held loosely at her sides even as she watches them intently. Leonard flexes his wrist slightly, regaining the patient’s gaze.

“I promise to explain everythin’ to you as soon as I can, kid. I’m gonna need my hand though.”

“Jim,” the kid rasps, lips barely parted and voice rusty, unused.

“Jim? That your name, kid?”

The kid - Jim - nods very slightly and the grip on Leonard’s wrist disappears altogether, their hand dropping back to the biobed mattress with a light thump. Thier grip was strong, he’d felt his bones grinding together within it, but apparently, they’re still weak from their long sleep and the rush of movement has tired them out again already.

Leonard tries for a smile, “Ok, Jim, that’s good. I’m Doctor Leonard McCoy, I’m your primary physician.” He stands a little straighter, twists his wrist slightly as it regains feeling. Jim keeps watching him, eyes focussed, expression still lax. He can’t tell anything about the kid yet, maybe not at all until the kid feels like actually talking and not just offering a single syllable for a name.

“Do you understand, Jim?”

Jim doesn’t speak this time, simply nods very slightly again.

“That’s great, Jim,” he telegraphs his movements clearly so the kid doesn’t startle as he reaches for the PADD, and the kid watches his every move as he does it, “I just need to check some of your vitals, ok, Jim? Will you allow me?”

Jim continues to stare at him for a long moment, and he glances at the readings that scroll across the PADD out of the corner of his eye. Everything looks normal, too normal, especially for someone who has been asleep for as long as this kid probably has. Everything is stacking up and pointing in the direction of his hypothesis being correct and it makes him uneasy.

Jim nods after a long moment though, so Leonard breathes out his tension in a short sigh and - once again telegraphing his every move - he pulls out the penlight. Leonard flicks his eyes to Setet, but she continues to watch them in silence, stance loose but ready, so he carefully leans down over Jim again.

The kid makes no complaint as he flicks the penlight first in their left eye, then their right, checking pupillary responses - normal - then checks their pulse again, watching the biobed sensors as he presses his fingers into Jim’s wrist. The kid simply watches him, saying nothing, and it’s more than a little disconcerting by this point, but Leonard keeps going, he has a job to do.

“Can you sit up, Jim?”

Jim takes another long moment to apparently consider the question, before they nod again. Jim ignores Leonard’s offered hand and slowly, carefully, leverages their torso up. They slowly twist until their legs dangle off the side of the biobed, the artificially heated blankets tangling up around their thighs and hips. Jim grips the edge of the bed in white knuckled hands, though their face remains soft, free of any expression as they watch Leonard as intently as Setet watches the room.

“Ok, that’s great, Jim. Are you feeling any pain?” The sensors aren’t registering any neural activity indicating pain, but he always prefers to ask as well.

Jim blinks, as if surprised by the simple question, then shakes their head.

“Are you feeling weak?”

Jim shakes their head again, then stops, shrugs lightly and then nods, all without taking their eyes off Leonard.

Leonard snorts and Jim’s eyes widen in apparent shock again.

“Kid, I’m not here t’judge you. If you’re feelin’ weak, it’s only t’be expected and probably a nutritional thing. And you ain’t exactly been usin’ your muscles for a while, either, you’re lucky you’re not atrophied all to hell. Thank whoever built the pod you were sleepin’ in, kid, they did good work apparently.”

He looks down at the PADD and swipes the screen until it shows him the information he wants, “Yeah, ok, you’re lacking in some minerals and vitamins, but that’s an easy fix.” He looks back up at Jim and gives them another smile, “We’ll start you off on some simple vitamin rich broths, we don’t want you throwin’ it all back up again. See how that goes for a couple days, then get you on real food - how does that sound?”

Jim simply shrugs again, but they seem a little less wary. Leonard takes that as a win.

“Alright, kid, I want to check your physical responses,” he explains as he puts the PADD back, “Which means I’m gonna touch you, is that ok with you?”

Jim immediately closes off again, but after a moment they nod, slowly.

Leonard looks them in the eye, calm and steady, “If you want me to stop, if you’re uncomfortable in any way, tap the bed three times and I’ll back off, ok? I’m not gonna do anythin’ you don’t want here, ok, Jim?”

Jim stares for a much longer moment, a slight crinkle appearing between their brows. It’s the first real facial expression Leonard has seen them show and he’s not entirely sure how to read it. Is the kid confused? But the crinkle vanishes and then Jim nods.

With a glance over at Officer Zh'chyrreq, to check she’s ok with this - she nods - Leonard slowly begins to go through the checks. He makes sure to keep telegraphing every move he makes and is especially careful not to do anything that could in any way cause even slight discomfort as he slowly takes Jim’s limbs through the motions needed to check the responses, in both their joints and their muscles.

When he reaches to test Jim’s neck the kid jerks away and taps the bed sharply. Leonard immediately backs off, hands raised, palms open as he steps back, giving Jim the space they seem to need. “Ok, Jim. Ok, we can check that another time.”

Jim’s breathing and heart rate have risen slightly, so Leonard stays at a slight distance as the kid watches him warily, the slight crease back between their brows again. Leonard picks the PADD back up and makes some notes about Jim’s responsiveness, the range of motion of their limbs, the lack of pain. He puts in a note about the broth jim will need for the first few days and writes a short paragraph about the kid’s name and their reactions to both Officer Zh'chyrreq and himself. He makes a further note about the kid’s possible selective mutism - it could be psychological, or it could be physical. Until he can actually check Jim’s neck, he won’t really know for sure, despite the scans.

As he replaces the PADD again, he goes to pat Jim’s knee but thinks better of it before actually touching them. Jim apparently notices and the slight crease reappears as the kid watches him.

“Alright, Jim. You can lay down again now if you want to.” He doesn’t move to offer help this time as Jim slowly lowers themself back onto the biobed. He does, however, rearrange the blankets in a perfunctory manner that can’t be misread as anything but necessity.

“I’m going to let you rest for a bit. I’ve put in a note about the food you’re going to need - depending on how your stomach deals with it, you’ll start off at small bowls every couple hours, you can have some sweet tea and fresh fruit juice as well. Now,” he pauses and lightly crosses his arms over his torso, “I’ve had to let my superiors know that you’re awake, so, they’re going to want to visit you.”

Jim gives him another expression. Raised eyebrows, wide eyes, slightly parted lips. Surprise? Apprehension?

Leonard drops his arms, runs one hand through his hair as he looks at Jim, “You’re of great interest to them, Jim. But,” he lowers his hand again, “As your primary physician, I have some say over when and how many people can visit you. And you get to turn them away if you don’t want them near you. You don’t have to talk to them at all if you don’t want to.”

He shakes his head and gives Jim’s still wide eyes a grim smile, “It’s a moot point right now anyway, kid. I’m not lettin’ anyone near you ‘til I reckon you’re ready for’em.”

Jim visibly relaxes, eyes closing briefly and Leonard smiles again, more softly this time, “Alright. I’ll let you rest. Officer Zh'chyrreq will be stayin’ with you, but she’s here to make sure no-one can hurt you, ok? If you want me, let her know and she’ll call me right in. I won’t be far.”

He watches as Jim relaxes further, as their eyes flicker, lids heavy and body lax. He pats the mattress beside Jim’s knee, noting the way Jim watches his hand under their heavy lids, and turns to leave the room.

“Comm me when Jim wakes up, ok?” Setet nods and, satisfied, Leonard leaves the room.

\---

Leonard sits heavily in his desk chair and stares at the readouts from the biobed on his monitor. Jim is asleep, in a normal REM cycle at the moment, and has been sleeping normally for the last hour and a half of three.

In that time Leonard has filed his reports, set up Jim’s eating schedule and dug out his psychology books in an effort to brush up on his ability to actually help the kid. He has also argued with Admiral Pike about the kid’s visitations. Half of Starfleet Medical and Science divisions want in on the kid; just as Leonard suspects what he is, so do his superiors, and they all want the chance to get their hands on the kid’s blood, the kid’s neural map, the kid’s story.

As Jim’s primary physician, however, Leonard has vetoed all unnecessary contact until the kid is judged well enough to deal with it all. Even though he’s still only a cadet within Starfleet, Leonard’s medical credentials give him more than enough clout, automatically giving him the position of Lieutenant within the ‘fleet, and he is stubborn enough that Admiral Pike - his recruiting officer - not only trusts his judgement, but has lent his considerable weight to it.

He rubs a hand over his face, pinching at the bridge of his nose briefly and pressing thumb and index finger into his eyes for a moment, attempting to press away the fatigue snapping at his heels. Jim had woken up barely six hours after being removed from the pod - a heretofore unknown recovery time - meaning Leonard actually hasn’t slept more than a half hour snatched here and there in near 30 hours. And the kid’s body had recovered exceptionally quickly from something that should have left them immobile and needing physiotherapy for weeks, instead leaving them only weak and shaking as they moved about on the biobed.

Jim, unintentionally, is going to cause the mother of all medical and scientific nightmares as separate divisions of Starfleet try to get them under their control.

Leonard refuses to let that happen. The kid might be… what they all suspect they are, but that doesn’t mean the kid isn’t allowed to live their life, to have the autonomy to live it how and where they want, without the ‘fleet breathing down their neck. They’re still a person. They still have rights. And if there’s anything in this ‘verse that Leonard feels strongly about, it is that sentient beings have inalienable rights simply by existing. He will fight tooth and nail for Jim if needs be.

But first - he glances at the biobed readings and notices the kid is waking up again.

Picking up the PADD, he heads to Jim’s room.

\---

The security staff has switched out.

“Fuck,” Leonard doesn’t give a shit who hears him as he doubles his pace, having spotted the new guards at Jim’s door from the end of the hall. Shit, damn, he needs to get there before the kid -

The third guard, the one stationed inside Jim’s room, comes flying through the door, tail first and clearly unconscious.

“No! Stand down!” Leonard yells as the two guards grab their phasers, they glance up at his command and hesitate, which gives him just long enough to reach them as the door opens again.

“Dammit, I said stand down!” And he plants himself between the guards and the door, where he can just see Jim crouching in the shadows, huddled against the wall at the far side of the room, Officer Sheras’ phaser clutched in shaking fingers. He looks back at the guards, glaring at them, daring them to move, “Stand, the hell, down.”

Officer Sonoda huffs and nods, “Alright, but we’re keeping them in sight, and you don’t close that door.”

Officer ch'Vraasa follows suit with a stiff nod and drops into a crouch, fingers finding Officer Sheras’ pulse under the Caitian’s mane. With another nod, he indicates that Sheras is alright so Leonard relaxes and drops down beside him. With careful hands he rolls the Caitian into the recovery position and pulls his tricorder out. Running it over the unconscious officer, he releases a huff of frustration.

“He’s fine, out cold, maybe a concussion, but he should be fine. Get him to the main bay and get him checked over. Now.” He orders with a glare.

As Officer ch'Vraasa lifts officer Sheras and carries him to the main infirmary ward, Leonard shoves the tricorder back into his pocket, stands and turns to face the darkened room, immediately seeking out Jim’s watchful gaze.

Making sure his hands are visible at all times, he moves slowly into the room. Jim doesn’t move, only watches him in silence, fingers white knuckling their grip on the blankets their huddling under.

“Jim. I’m sorry kid, I tried to get here before you woke up, but I guess I fucked that up, huh?”

Jim just continues to watch him in silence. Leonard stops a couple feet from the kid and then shifts deliberately to one side, until he reaches the wall to Jim’s right. He leans back against it then slides down until his rump hits the floor and he’s effectively sitting next to Jim - if sitting with a careful two foot distance between their bodies can be called sitting next to them.

“I am sorry, Jim. You shouldn’t have had to wake up feeling threatened. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He pauses as Jim continues to watch him. “Are you ok?”

Jim is silent for a long moment before they respond with a simple nod and Leonard can see the relaxing again.

He nods at the phaser in Jim’s hand, “Can I have the phaser?”

Jim glances down at it and there’s the little crease between their brows again, then they look back up at Leonard and slowly reach out, handing the phaser to him without comment.

Leonard takes the phaser, places it on the floor and shoves it away with his foot. He knows how to use the things, of course, but damned if he likes them or tolerates them in his infirmary without extreme surliness. He’s a goddamn doctor, not a soldier, and that means he does no harm.

“I guess if you’re from when I think you are, you’re used to guns?”

Jim blinks at him, then carefully nods.

“Well, these are phasers. If I remember my engineering correctly, they emit nadion beams. They can be set to stun or kill - these ones are set to stun, so if you were hit by one, you’d be knocked out, but not killed.”

Jim appears to be listening intently as Leonard explains, and when he finishes the kid swings his gaze over to the phaser, then over to the door, where Sonoda stands guard watching Leonard and Jim in silence.

“Jim,” he waits for the intense blue gaze to return to him, “Jim, were you hurt?”

Jim doesn’t respond for a long time, so Leonard shifts slightly “Jim, if you were hurt I want to help. That’s all. I promise, no damn funny business, I’m a doctor, not a sadist.”

Jim snorts at that and suddenly all the tension disappears from their body, leaving them sagging against the wall. Then they nod and lift their left arm, the blanket shifting enough that Leonard can see the long, lightly bleeding scratches up the kid’s forearm.

Leonard growls, “Goddamn Caitian’s and their goddamn claws.”

Remarkably, Jim huffs what sounds like a laugh as Leonard frowns at them, “This ain’t funny, kid. I’m gonna have to give you a damned shot for this, you’ve never encountered Caitian’s before, and god only knows what was under his goddamn claws.”

Jim just smirks at him, and if it was any other time, Leonard would smile back, but right now he’s a little preoccupied with making sure his patient doesn’t die of something entirely preventable just because they haven’t had the necessary vaccinations every damn terran gets in childhood these days.

He gets to his feet and holds out a hand, “Alright kid, I need to check those scratches over.”

After a moment of silent contemplation, Jim reaches out and actually takes Leonard’s hand. Stifling the pang of relief and disbelief at the simple admission of trust, Leonard pulls the kid to their feet with a woof of effort - the kid’s heavier than they look.

Once the kid has settled back on the bed again, Leonard grabs his tricorder and medkit, “Lights; 75%.”

Jim flinches as the lights adjust so he can see properly, staring up at the ceiling and then at Leonard in apparent wonder. Leonard blinks as he carefully takes Jim’s arm in his hands; something must be going right, because the kid is beginning to show actual emotions.

“Alright kid,” he says as he gently turns Jim’s forearm too and fro to examine the scratches, “I’m going to need to clean these before I can hit them with the dermal regenerator.”

Jim gives him what he thinks is a questioning look, so he picks up the first of the sterilizer swabs, “There ain’t no way to do this without some discomfort yet, so… this may hurt a bit.”

Jim simply watches in silence, not a flicker of an expression on their features now, as Leonard carefully wipes each of the scratches clean with a separate swab for each. Then he picks up the dermal regenerator. He holds it so that Jim can see it clearly, “This is to repair the skin, it’ll feel a little weird, but it won’t hurt. You’ll just have some fresh skin patches for a little while.”

When Jim nods, Leonard sets to work, passing the Regenerator over each of the scratches.

“I’m puttin’ this in the report,” Leonard grumbles, “Changin’ the guard and not informing me? Of course that was gonna end well, goddamn idiots.”

Jim makes the huffing-laugh noise again and Leonard looks at him, “And what’s so funny, kid? I’m a doctor, not a comedian.” But he feels pleased, under all the gruff and grumble, that the kid is actually responding, actually exhibiting emotions. It means there’s definitely something he can work with going on behind those bright, watchful eyes.

And this time, when Jim is once again settled in bed and carefully spooning broth into their mouth, Leonard stays. He pulls up a chair, his PADD and makes himself comfortable so he can keep a weather eye on the kid.

Nurse Kim comes to inform him that Officer Sheras has woken up, is fine, no concussion, has already given his report - apparently Jim had tried to communicate, Sheras had misunderstood and it resulted in a short scuffle that Jim won by knocking out and then flinging the Caitian through the door - and has been sent home with orders to rest.

Leonard adds all this to his scathing report to Admiral Pike, and then allows himself to drift a little as he watches Jim sleep. Before long, listening to the gentle noises of the scanner and the near silent whisper of Jim’s breathing, Leonard actually falls asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I asked Tumblr to give me some McKirk prompts so I could get my head in the McKirk writing game - and this is the prompt I got: 
> 
> somehow someone was frozen for centuries (or at least for a while) in a cryogenic sleep and Bones End up being the one who has to monitor his health and they become friends and Bones basically helps him a bit integrate into their society. It happens on earth obviously
> 
> My brain took one look at that and RAN WITH IT. So blame spikeghost for this one :)


End file.
